MetalRules.com's list of the 100 Most Essential Metal albums

[Dean Winchester]

Enjoy. Agree/Disagree? Thoughts


100. 'Individual Thought Patterns' by Death (1993)
99. 'Pleasure to Kill' by Kreator (1986)
98. 'Crimson Idol' by W.A.S.P. (1993)
97. 'Black Sabbath, Vol.4' by Black Sabbath (1972)
96. 'Fair Warning' by Van Halen (1981)
95. 'Love at First Sting' by Scorpions (1984)
94. 'You Can't Stop Rock N Roll' by Twisted Sister (1983)
93. 'Kings of Metal' by Manowar (1988)
92. 'Wheels of Steel' by Saxon (1980)
91. 'Legacy of Kings' by Hammerfall (1999)
90. 'Let There Be Rock' by AC/DC (1977)
89. 'Restless & Wild' by Accept (1983)
88. 'Tooth and Nail' by Dokken (1984)
87. 'Under the Blade' by Twisted Sister (1982)
86. 'Welcome to Hell' by Venom (1981)
85. 'Cowboys From Hell' by Pantera (1990)
84. 'The Legacy' by Testament (1987)
83. 'Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good!' by Megadeth (1985)
82. 'Skid Row' by Skid Row (1989)
81. 'Mob Rules' by Black Sabbath (1981)
80. 'Bonded by Blood' by Exodus (1985)
79. 'Jester Race: Black Ash Inheritance' by In Flames (1996)
78. 'Destroyer' by Kiss (1976)
77. 'The Years of Decay' by Overkill (1989)
76. 'Van Halen II' by Van Halen (1979)
75. 'Glory to the Brave' by Hammerfall (1997)
74. 'Imaginations From the Other Side' by Blind Guardian (1990)
73. 'Them' by King Diamond (1988)
72. '...And Justice For All' by Metallica (1988)
71. 'Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap' by AC/DC (1976)
70. 'Nightfall in Middle-Earth' by Blind Guardian (1998)
69. 'Something Wicked This Way Comes' by Iced Earth (1998)
68. 'Don't Break the Oath' by Mercyful Fate (1984)
67. 'Out of the Cellar' by Ratt (1984)
66. 'Black Metal' by Venom (1982)
65. 'Hell Awaits' by Slayer (1985)
64. '1984' by Van Halen (1984)
63. 'Blackout' by the Scorpions (1982)
62. 'Machine Head' by Deep Purple (1972)
61. 'Accident of Birth' by Bruce Dickinson (1997)
60. 'Beneath the Remains' by Sepultura (1989)
59. 'Melissa' by Mercyful Fate (1983)
58. 'Symbolic' by Death (1995)
57. 'Led Zeppelin IV' by Led Zeppelin (1971)
56. 'Practice What You Preach' by Testament (1989)
55. 'Master of Reality' by Black Sabbath (1971)
54. 'Resurrection' by Halford (2000)
53. 'Massive Killing Capacity' by Dismember (1995)
52. 'Abigail' by King Diamond (1987)
51. 'Hall of the Mountain King' by Savatage (1987)
50. 'Countdown to Extinction' by Megadeth (1992)
49. 'So Far, So Good...So What!' by Megadeth (1988)
48. 'Slave to the Grind' by Skid Row (1991)
47. 'Pyromania' by Def Leppard (1983)
46. 'Long Live Rock 'N Roll' by Rainbow (1978)
45. 'Last Command' by W.A.S.P. (1985)
44. 'Keeper of the Seven Keys Pt.1' by Helloween (1987)
43. 'Heaven & Hell' by Black Sabbath (1979)
42. 'Stay Hungry' by Twisted Sister (1984)
41. 'Among the Living' by Anthrax (1987)
40. 'Iron Maiden' by Iron Maiden (1980)
39. 'Stained Class' by Judas Priest (1978)
38. 'Sad Wings of Destiny' by Judas Priest (1976)
37. 'Ace of Spades' by Motorhead (1980)
36. 'Sabbath Bloody Sabbath' by Black Sabbath (1974)
35. 'Show No Mercy' by Slayer (1983)
34. 'Diary of a Madman' by Ozzy Osbourne (1981)
33. 'Killers' by Iron Maiden (1981)
32. 'Balls to the Wall' by Accept (1984)
31. 'Too Fast For Love' by Motley Crue (1981)
30. 'Van Halen' by Van Halen (1978)
29. 'Hell Bent for Leather' by Judas Priest (1978)
28. 'Keeper of the 7 Keys, Pt. 2' by Helloween (1988)
27. 'The Last in Line' by Dio (1984)
26. 'Somewhere in Time' by Iron Maiden (1986)
25. 'Peace Sells...But Who's Buying?' by Megadeth (1986)
24. 'Paranoid' by Black Sabbath (1970)
23. 'South of Heaven' by Slayer (1988)
22. 'W.A.S.P.' by W.A.S.P. (1984)
21. 'British Steel' by Judas Priest (1980)
20. 'Kill 'Em All' by Metallica (1983)
19. 'Blizzard of Ozz' by Ozzy Osbourne (1981)
18. 'Highway to Hell' by AC/DC (1979)
17. 'Black Sabbath [Warner]' by Black Sabbath (1969)
16. 'Rust in Peace' by Megadeth (1990)
15. 'Defenders of the Faith' by Judas Priest (1984)
14. 'Shout At The Devil' by Motley Crue (1983)
13. 'Appetite for Destruction' by Guns N' Roses (1987)
12. 'Painkiller' by Judas Priest (1990)
11. 'Operation: Mindcrime' by Queensryche (1988)
10. 'Screaming for Vengeance' by Judas Priest (1982)
9. 'Seasons in the Abyss' by Slayer (1990)
8. 'Holy Diver' by Dio (1983)
7. 'Piece of Mind' by Iron Maiden (1983)
6. 'Powerslave' by Iron Maiden (1984)
5. 'Reign in Blood' by Slayer (1986)
4. 'Back in Black' by AC/DC (1980)
3. 'Ride the Lightning' by Metallica (1984)
2. 'Number of the Beast' by Iron Maiden (1982)
1. 'Master of Puppets' by Metallica (1986)

[robyrob]

i have a few problems with that list - how is the Scorpions "Blackout" at #63, compared to ANYTHING by slayer at #5 ???

i havent even heard of a couple of those groups, and notice a few bands that should be on there, like Quiet Riot (Metal Health) Loudness, Rainbow, and Krokus "Headhunter", and I would still put most of Black Sabbath's other albums ahead of the Death Metal stuff...

[Kay Scarpetta]

Originally posted by BuffySlayer79



97. 'Black Sabbath, Vol.4' by Black Sabbath (1972)
96. 'Fair Warning' by Van Halen (1981)
94. 'You Can't Stop Rock N Roll' by Twisted Sister (1983)
90. 'Let There Be Rock' by AC/DC (1977)
87. 'Under the Blade' by Twisted Sister (1982)
85. 'Cowboys From Hell' by Pantera (1990)
83. 'Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good!' by Megadeth (1985)
81. 'Mob Rules' by Black Sabbath (1981)
78. 'Destroyer' by Kiss (1976)
76. 'Van Halen II' by Van Halen (1979)
72. '...And Justice For All' by Metallica (1988)
71. 'Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap' by AC/DC (1976)
64. '1984' by Van Halen (1984)
57. 'Led Zeppelin IV' by Led Zeppelin (1971)
55. 'Master of Reality' by Black Sabbath (1971)
50. 'Countdown to Extinction' by Megadeth (1992)
49. 'So Far, So Good...So What!' by Megadeth (1988)
47. 'Pyromania' by Def Leppard (1983)
43. 'Heaven & Hell' by Black Sabbath (1979)
42. 'Stay Hungry' by Twisted Sister (1984)
40. 'Iron Maiden' by Iron Maiden (1980)
39. 'Stained Class' by Judas Priest (1978)
38. 'Sad Wings of Destiny' by Judas Priest (1976)
36. 'Sabbath Bloody Sabbath' by Black Sabbath (1974)
34. 'Diary of a Madman' by Ozzy Osbourne (1981)
33. 'Killers' by Iron Maiden (1981)
31. 'Too Fast For Love' by Motley Crue (1981)
30. 'Van Halen' by Van Halen (1978)
29. 'Hell Bent for Leather' by Judas Priest (1978)
26. 'Somewhere in Time' by Iron Maiden (1986)
25. 'Peace Sells...But Who's Buying?' by Megadeth (1986)
24. 'Paranoid' by Black Sabbath (1970)
21. 'British Steel' by Judas Priest (1980)
20. 'Kill 'Em All' by Metallica (1983)
19. 'Blizzard of Ozz' by Ozzy Osbourne (1981)
18. 'Highway to Hell' by AC/DC (1979)
17. 'Black Sabbath [Warner]' by Black Sabbath (1969)
16. 'Rust in Peace' by Megadeth (1990)
15. 'Defenders of the Faith' by Judas Priest (1984)
14. 'Shout At The Devil' by Motley Crue (1983)
13. 'Appetite for Destruction' by Guns N' Roses (1987)
12. 'Painkiller' by Judas Priest (1990)
10. 'Screaming for Vengeance' by Judas Priest (1982)
7. 'Piece of Mind' by Iron Maiden (1983)
6. 'Powerslave' by Iron Maiden (1984)

4. 'Back in Black' by AC/DC (1980)
3. 'Ride the Lightning' by Metallica (1984)
2. 'Number of the Beast' by Iron Maiden (1982)
1. 'Master of Puppets' by Metallica (1986)

Good list, for the most part- although '1984' by Van Halen and 'Appetite for Destruction' by GN'R, numbers 64 and 13? I thought the both would have been a little bit higher.

As for the top 4- some of my favorite albums. I definitely agree.

[Dean Winchester]

Originally posted by Kaffeine Kay
Good list, for the most part- although '1984' by Van Halen and 'Appetite for Destruction' by GN'R, numbers 64 and 13? I thought the both would have been a little bit higher.

As for the top 4- some of my favorite albums. I definitely agree.

some of the list really baffles me too. Like Painkiller and Defenders Of The Faith ABOVE British Steel for Judas Priest. Also, the fact so many Iron Maiden titles are on there, yet Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son is missing also is kinda surprising.

This list definately shows that NONE of this "nu-metal" stuff out now can compare to the Metallica's, Maiden's, Sabbath's and Priest's from metal's heyday. Today's bands just aren't the same.

[Nighthawk76]

I don't consider either Led Zeppelin or Van Halen to be heavy metal. If Jimmy Page ever heard anyone refer to his band as metal he would use those infamous sorcerer powers to turn that person into a toad!

[phoebe7165]

Originally posted by dukey
I don't consider either Led Zeppelin or Van Halen to be heavy metal. If Jimmy Page ever heard anyone refer to his band as metal he would use those infamous sorcerer powers to turn that person into a toad!

I was thinking the same thing when I saw VH. I always considered them 'hard rock', not metal, no matter how much Eddie "wails" his guitar!!

[ABlairican Pie]

I think the Black Sabbath albums should be higher up the list, with
Paranoid and the Black Sabbath debut in the top ten, because after all, they INVENTED heavy metal with those two albums (btw, Black Sabbath's first album debuted on February 13, 1970).

And where is Vulgar Display of Power by Pantera??



Iron Maiden and Metallica at #1 and#2--good choices.